News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-03-17

of eloquence. On one occasion a
Maine regiment was delayed on its
way to the front and was without
shelter. Mr.. Beecher caused the doors
of his church to be thrown open for
its shelter. In 1868 he went abroad
for rest, but devoted his time to a
series of powerful addresses upon
American affairs, which were greatly
misunderstood in England. Popular
sentiment was very hostile to us at
that period and many of his eloquent
speeches were delivered in the face
of contumely and insult. The walls
of the cities in which he was to speak
was placarded with insulting and
abusive references to himself and his
country. The effect of his tour was
excellent, because, while he did not
affect the sentiment of the aristocrat-
ic and money classes, he won the re-
gard and changed the feelings OF the
middle classes. On his return he
was given public receptions BOTH IN
New York and Brooklyn. He was
selected to deliver the address on the
raising of the flag of the United States
on Fort Sumpter at the close OF tile
war, just four years after it had been
lowered at the demand of the rebels.
The war over, Mr.. Beecher was
among the first to advocate clemency
to the Southern people. He was one
of those anti-slavery men who went to
the other extreme. In the contest
between Congress and President John
son Mr.. Beecher allied himself with
the latter. He gradually recovered
from his mistake and gave General
Grant quite cordial support in 1868.
1t should be said that he took an &C
tive part on the stump in favor Of
Fremont in 1856 and Lisssln in 1860.
Some years ago he became an ultra
advocate of free trade as sentiment,
but only in that way as he showed
all ignorance of the subject. In 1884
Mr.. Beecher supported Mr.. Cleve-
lands candidacy very earnestly and
somewhat Extensively.
Mr.. Beecher reached the zenith of
his fame and his usefulness at the
close of the war. At that time he
betrayed that fickleness upon political
and religious questions which lost him
the confidence of many old friends.
They did not so much distrust his sim
cerity as hissjudgment. Then fol-
lowed the Tilton scandal, which was
national sensation, causing the great
est joy to those who had been led to
regard him as an enemy, and the
most poignant grief to those who had
admired his rare gifts and had learned
to love him for his devotion to every
good cause. After the press had been
filled with the disgusting details Of
the revelations made by Mr.. Beecher's
opponents, the matter was carried in
to the courts. The trial was a pro-
tracted one, the best lawyers in
New York being engaged on either
side, but particularly in Mr.. Beecher's
defence. The result was a disagree
ment of the jury. Since that date
Beecher has lost large part of his
early influence and power. Never so
decidedly Calvanistic as his creed de-
clares, Mr.. Beecher, for the last fif-
teen years had been drifting away
from the tenets of the Congregational
and Presbyterian Churches, until, at
at the time Of his death, the Ply
mouth Church was not member OF
the conference composed of churches
of the same protested creed in the To-
cality. The work which Mr.. Beecher
has performed during the past forty
years is simply wonderful to those
who measure it by the average oil
: human effort. As lecturer he stood
at the head of the list for thirty years,
and even up to the time of his death
he could draw large audiences, Fol
years he was practically the editor Of
the Independent, writing every week
editorial articles which were so marked
as to be rightly attributed to him. he
| was not in accord with the more con
sentative religious papers of New
: York, as may be suspected from one
sentence, in which he declared that he
r never felt inclined to use the term to-
: tai depravity, ''except when reading
the ethics of the New York Observer
or the religious editorials of the Puri'
r tan Recorder" In 1870 Mr.. Beechel
became the editor Of the Christian
Union, which circulation, under his
: direction soon exceeded that of any
religious weekly in the country. In
addition to this work, his pulpit efforts
| and his lecturing, Mr.. Beecher had
written more than thirty volumes
covering all sorts of topics, but al
marked with his peculiar style of ex-
preston and thought. He wrote ar
ticles for the New York Ledger for
several years; a fairly good novel, en-
titled Norwood y the Plymouth pull
pit (1959-1875) Lectures to Young
Men, Life, Thoughts and Sermons on
Liberty and War, and edited the Ply
mouth collections Of Hymns and
Tunes. He began life of Christ in
| 1871, but it was not completed at the
time of his death,
In many respects Mr.. Beecher's
long pastorate in Brooklyn is the most
remarkable on record. He had been
identified with the Plymouth Church
nearly forty years. In fact, it has
grown into a society and a power
under his leadership, In all its
branches of effort Plymouth Church
has been successful. Probably more
people have heard preaching in its ed
ifice than in any church building in
the country. And while he was not
so popular outside Of his society dur
ing late years, he had retained the
support and confidence of his society.
Mr.. Beechers sermons and addresses
to his church were not only original,
but so unique that no man could sue
ceed if he attempted to make him his
model. Columns might be filled with
his bright and pertinent sayings and
with those sermons which have at
tracted and delighted so many thou
sands of people from the illiterate to
the most cultured No two of these